Her Son's Wife (Virago Modern Classics)

Her Son's Wife (Virago Modern Classics) by Dorothy Canfield. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780860683476.

Lottie, cheaply dressed and cheaply perfumes, shatters Mary Bascombs life, undermining not only the neat comfort of her home, but also her carefully-laid plans for her sons future. Marys years of control - both as a mother and a teacher - count for nothing against the impact this slovenly young woman has upon Ralphs affections. Humiliated and rebuffed, Mary constructs a barrier of indignation against this marriage. And when the pleasure of self-righteous disapproval fades, devises a means of regaining her supremacy... First published in 1926, Her Sons Wife incisively explores the destructive potential of a mothers love for her son. A story of possession and the misuse of emotional power, it is a memorable work with an acid edge.